VMware SATPs

Storage Array Type Plug-ins (SATPs) are responsible for array-specific operations. The SATPs are submodules of the VMware NMP.

ESXi offers an SATP for every type of array that VMware supports. ESXi also provides default SATPs that support non-specific active-active, active-passive, ALUA, and local devices.

Each SATP accommodates special characteristics of a certain class of storage arrays. The SATP can perform the array-specific operations required to detect path state and to activate an inactive path. As a result, the NMP module itself can work with multiple storage arrays without having to be aware of the storage device specifics.

Generally, the NMP determines which SATP to use for a specific storage device and associates the SATP with the physical paths for that storage device. The SATP implements the tasks that include the following:

As of vSphere 6.5 Update 2 release, VMW_SATP_LOCAL provides multipathing support for the local devices, except the devices in 4K native format. To claim multiple paths to the local devices, you are no longer required to use other SATPs as you were in the earlier vSphere releases.

VMW_SATP_LOCAL supports the VMW_PSP_MRU and VMW_PSP_FIXED path selection plug-ins, but does not support VMW_PSP_RR.

VMW_SATP_DEFAULT_AA

Generic SATP for active-active arrays.

VMW_SATP_DEFAULT_AP

Generic SATP for active-passive arrays.

VMW_SATP_ALUA

SATP for ALUA-compliant arrays.

For more information, see the VMware Compatibility Guide and the vSphere Command-Line Interface Reference documentation.